Archive for the 'The Whigs' Tag Under 'Soundcheck' Category

Longtime followers have been buzzing again about the San Francisco-born, L.A.-reared band Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, insisting since well before the release last week of its fifth dark-and-distorted disc, Beat the Devil's Tattoo, that the group has reconnected with the noisy seduction of its earliest efforts.

Die-hards don't lie -- downplaying the rootsiness of 2005's Howl while re-upping the fuzz factor that made the black-clad outfit such a sensation at the start of last decade (especially in the U.K.), the new set is indeed the strongest and often loudest work the trio has concocted, a stirring revival of the neo-Jesus and Mary Chain joy that made BRMC so appealing in the first place.

The group sounds rejuvenated through and through, even if the disc starts to drag as it nears the hour mark. Allowing for the title track's bluesier slink -- as well as another slice of acoustic intimacy, this time rightly dubbed "Sweet Feeling," a gem that is nonetheless not quite as haunting as, say, "And I'm Aching" (from 2003's Take Them On, On Your Own) -- the twin attack of Robert Levon Been (bass) and Peter Hayes (guitar, pictured) simply bears down hard on those stacks o' amps, blasting out one monster riff after another (the all-out attack of "Bad Blood" dovetailing into the blunted groove of "War Machine" leaps out fast). (Grade: B+)

The band, having finally replaced fired drummer Nick Jago with Leah Shapiro (late of Dead Combo and, on tour, the Raveonettes), has already started gearing up for a nationwide tour with several shows throughout Southern California, chiefly shows last week at the Echoplex with the Whigs in tow. Now comes arguably the best showcase of all: a stop Tuesday at House of Blues Anaheim (1530 S. Disneyland Drive), bolstered by a fairly rare visit from the excellent English band the Veils, still touting kudos for its third album, Sun Gangs.

August 23rd, 2009, 1:33 pm by GEORGE A. PAUL, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Foreign success is perfectly well and good, but attaining fame and fortune on your own turf is much sweeter –- something Kings of Leon waited six years to discover.

The band currently has a platinum album at No. 5 on the Billboard chart (Only by the Night) and a single (“Use Somebody”) in the same position on the Hot 100 tally. Their presence is so pervasive on pop and rock radio right now that three random channel-surfing experiences can turn up all three recent hits.

During an electrifying, sold-out concert Saturday at the Forum, the band was clearly reveling in the fruits of its labors –- and its biggest L.A. gig to date. Singer-guitarist Caleb Followill (who has admitted to such extreme nervousness that he often has to vomit before taking the stage) seemed more relaxed than at the group's smaller Nokia Theatre show last October.

At various points Caleb told the Inglewood audience “this is the rare occasion when all of us up here are having a good time” and “you don't realize how proud you make this little band from Tennessee feel. God bless you all.”

It must have felt good to be Luke Pritchard Monday night at House of Blues Anaheim. The lead singer ofthe Kooks (pictured, at a Budapest performance in August, courtesy of the Associated Press) commanded the stage with enough swagger and charisma to make Mick Jagger proud, and the band's sold-out show, seemingly filled with nothing but die-hards who knew every word to every song, grew to an explosion of Kook love.

Jolts of electric energy coursed through the crowd as they anxiously awaited the headliners -- enough to make me wonder if love for the Kooks rivals that for, say, slightly overrated MGMT. The audience's enthusiasm also spilled over for opening act the Whigs, who played a solid, vigorous set that at times was Beatles-esque, particularly on “Nothing is Easy,” reminiscent of “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” (The bill repeated Tuesday at the Hollywood Palladium.)

The Brighton-based Kooks, however, stormed the stage, launching into their recent single “Always Where I Need to Be,” an appealing, high-energy tune from their more accessible new album Konk, as compared to the more jumped-up indie fare of 2006's Inside In/Inside Out. That opening set fans off into a singing, screaming frenzy.

The level of excitement remained constant throughout the set. Each song was a big sing-along with the exception of a sweet new acoustic tune Pritchard introduced during the encore called “Princess of My Mind.” He tried to stump the audience by singing more obscure B-sides like “California,” but failed. Towards the end of the show, Pritchard and guitarist Hugh Harris just grinned in disbelief, genuinely flattered by the support of their rabid fans.